Episode two of Dune: Prophecy sees the Emperor take a bold step towards independence, as the Sisterhood's grip on Imperium weakens.
There's plenty going on involving the Sisterhood, as Lila undergoes the Agony to try and connect with her dead ancestors, particularly Mother Raquella. She isn't successful, though, and is almost killed in the process. Just another victim of Valya's disregard for the lives of others, so long as it serves her purpose.
It also reveals more of the Sisterhood's overall control of events, as they were responsible for the attack on the Spice harvester on Arrakis, not the Fremen or insurgents from the great houses, as was previously thought. Now that they have been removed from the palace, and are no longer part of the Emperor's staff, their influence will no doubt be reduced, as they can't coerce Javicco personally. However, they are still advisors to all the dukes, and Ynez plans to join the order. They are also resourceful, patient, and ruthless in the pursuit of their goals, so it will probably be just a temporary setback.
One of the most interesting pasts of the show is Desmond Hart. He's an enigmatic character and looks like he'll have a big part in the show, now that Natalya and Javicco have decided to use him as a weapon, rather than treat him as an enemy.
This changes things a great deal, not least because the Imperium was supine before, but now has taken a huge step towards becoming more forceful and independent in the way it deals with men like Duke Richese, as they no longer need to fear him. But also, Hart could still be something of a loose cannon. His background is a mystery, and while he seems to be completely devoted to the Emperor, that could still be a cover for his own real purpose.
There's also the question of what effect this will have on Ynez if she discovers that Hart was responsible for the deaths of Prewit and Kasha, and now her parents are willing to use him. I doubt she'll be so bothered about Prewit's death. Sure he was meant to be her husband, but the politics of this world seems to involve a whole lot of death. More important is Kasha's fate, she was a close friend and confidante of the princess, and if she finds out it was Hart who killed her, that could cause a rift in the family.
Another key revelation is that Hart is able to resist the Voice when Mother Valya uses it on him. So far he's the only person in the series who has. His power must be greater than we've seen so far, and clearly has an important purpose attached to it. The question is, why has he received it? Was it intentional or accidental? Why would Shai-Hulud give something like that to one of the Emperor's soldiers? All questions waiting for answers.
It continues to be a slow-paced drama, rather than giving us any of the action the films are famous far, while the plot unravels carefully, without any real unexpected twists thrown in so far. It's still entertaining, though, with Desmond Hart and Valya Harkonnen by far standing out as the strongest characters. Seeing them come into direct conflict here was satisfying, hopefully, there will be more scenes between them in the future.
New episodes of Dune: Prophecy air Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.